Government considering Hyperloop to connect Mumbai and Pune
During the Lokmat Infrastructure Conclave, held on 13th September, the Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, said that the Union government was eyeing Tesla's Hyperloop to connect Mumbai and Pune. The project, if implemented, would be India's first supersonic ground transport system.
What is the Hyperloop?
First proposed by the CEO of Space X and Tesla, Elon Musk, in 2013, Hyperloop is a transportation system which can transport passengers at supersonic speeds reaching up to 1200 km/h. The Hyperloop uses a mix of electric car and rocket ship technology. It consists of steel vacuum-tubes in which floating capsules are propelled by linear induction motors and air compressors.
Government considering Hyperloop to connect Mumbai and Pune
During the Lokmat Infrastructure Conclave, held on 13th September, the Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, said that the Union government was eyeing Tesla's Hyperloop to connect Mumbai and Pune. The project, if implemented, would be India's first supersonic ground transport system.
Mumbai-Pune travel in less than an hour
"The distance between Mumbai and Nagpur (around 850 km) can be covered in just 35 minutes if this technology [Hyperloop] is implemented here," said Nitin Gadkari.
The first public Hyperloop test
The first public Hyperloop test was held on 11th May 2016 in the Nevada desert in USA in which a metal sled accelerated to 187 km/h in 1.1 seconds. The trial run's objective was to test Hyperloop's super-speed propulsion system, and it was a success.
Why the sudden interest in Hyperloop?
Tesla's Hyperloop caught the attention of the Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, when he visited the Tesla Motors' manufacturing plant near San Francisco in July 2016. While there, Gadkari saw a presentation on the Hyperloop. Apart from asking Tesla to form joint ventures in India, Gadkari proposed that Tesla use the Mumbai-Pune corridor to implement a full-scale Hyperloop project.
Government yet to hear from Tesla
In spite of the Indian government's interest to implement Hyperloop in India, government agencies and ministries are yet to hear from Tesla on the issue.
